hemlock meaning

hemlock as a noun

1. poisonous drug derived from an Eurasian plant of the genus Conium
   • Socrates refused to flee and died by drinking hemlock

   Type of: plant toxin

2. large branching biennial herb native to Eurasia and Africa and adventive in North America having large fernlike leaves and white flowers; usually found in damp habitats; all parts extremely poisonous

   Synonyms: poison hemlock, poison parsley, California fern, Nebraska fern, winter fern, Conium maculatum

   Type of: poisonous plant

3. soft coarse splintery wood of a hemlock tree especially the western hemlock

   Type of: wood

4. an evergreen tree

   Synonyms: hemlock tree

   Type of: conifer

   Kinds: eastern hemlock, Carolina hemlock, mountain hemlock, western hemlock

How to pronounce hemlock

hemlock is pronounced /ˈhɛmlɑk/ in American English. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the first syllable.